Navy says Kerry's service awards were properly approved

ROBERT BURNS - AP Military Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Navy's chief investigator concluded Friday
that procedures were followed properly in the approval of Sen. John
Kerry's Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals, according
to an internal Navy memo.

Vice Adm. R.A. Route, the Navy inspector general, conducted thereview of Kerry's Vietnam-ear military service awards at therequest of Judicial Watch, a public interest group. The group hasalso asked for the release of additional records documenting theDemocratic presidential candidate's military service.

Judicial Watch had requested in August that the Navy open an
investigation of the matter, but Route said in an internal memo
obtained by The Associated Press that he saw no reason for a
full-scale probe.

"Our examination found that existing documentation regarding the
Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals indicates the
awards approval process was properly followed," Route wrote in the
memo sent Friday to Navy Secretary Gordon England.

"In particular, the senior officers who awarded the medals were
properly delegated authority to do so. In addition, we found that
they correctly followed the procedures in place at the time for
approving these awards."

Some veterans have challenged Kerry's version of the
circumstances surrounding the incident that led to his Silver Star
award for battlefield heroism, as well as his three Purple Heart
medals.

The Silver Star was awarded for his actions in pursuit of enemy
forces while commander of swift boat unit PCF-94 in Vietnam in
February 1969.

Judicial Watch also asked the Navy inspector general to
investigate Kerry's anti-war activities after he returned from
Vietnam and left active duty.

The group's president, Tom Fitton, called Route's review a
"whitewash" and said Judicial Watch would "appeal as
appropriate."

"The Navy IG obviously is afraid of the political ramifications
of a thorough investigation into a presidential candidate's service
record," Fitton said in a statement.

Route concluded that there was no justification for looking
further into the decisions to award the medals or the anti-war
activities.

"Conducting any additional review regarding events that took
place over 30 years ago would not be productive," he wrote. "The
passage of time would make reconstruction of the facts and
circumstances unreliable, and would not allow the information
gathered to be considered in the context of the time in which the
events took place.

"Our review also considered the fact that Senator Kerry's
post-active duty activities were public and that military and
civilian officials were aware of his actions at the time. For these
reasons, I have determined that Senator Kerry's awards were
properly approved and will take no further action in this
matter."